Method of making motor fuels



Patented May 23, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT ours-ICE THE-BHINE, GERMANY, ASSIGNORS, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO STANDARD-I. G.-

COMPANY, OF LINDEN, NEW JERsEY, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE METHOD OI MAKING MOTOR FUELS No Drawing. Application filed Kay 3, 1929, Serial No. 380,318, and in Germany Kay 21, 1928.

This invention relates to the manufacture and production of motor fuels.

The manufacture of non-knocking motor fuels, in particular of non-knocking gasolines, is of great technical importance. Hitherto attempts have been made to render motor fuels having a tendency to knock nonknocking by the addition of benzene .or organic metallic compounds but these processes have many drawbacks.

We have now found that in the produc tion of motor fuels, the high-boiling fractions of hydrocarbon oils, boiling up to about 180 or 200 C. and above about 120 C. and especially such fractions containing large amounts of compounds containing double bonds in the molecule are of extreme importance with regard to suppressing the knocking action of the said fuels. In accordance with the present invention non-knocking motor fuels are obtained by blending the said high-boiling anti-knocking fractions with low-boiling hydrocarbon fractions, usually boiling below about 150 (1., and usually or for the most part below 120 0., which by themselves have a tendency to knock, for example those containing mainly substances of the nature of paraflins. The addition of low-boiling hydrocarbons, poor in h drogen, such for example as benzene, for t e prevention of knocking in motor fuels is already known, but the action of such anti-knocking agents is comparatively slight, so that it is necessary to add fairly large quantities of the same to knocking benzines in order to prevent knocking, for example additions of 20 to 30 per cent of benzene and more, are necessary, whereas the same effect is produced by adding much smaller quantities for example up to about 10 per cent of the said higher boiling substances, in particular those which are rich in hydrocarbons containing double bonds in the molecule such as aromatic or unsaturated hydrocarbons and which boil between about 150 and 180 0. Additions of about 20 to 30 per cent of the said high-boiling fractions furnish particularly valuable fuels, but in any case, so much fuel is added that the knocking is substantially suppressed.

We have further found that particularly valuable motor fuels are obtained if at least I the said high-boiling non-knocking fraction is derived. frdm the destructive hydrogenatlon of hydrocarbon products, in particular by the destructive hydrogenation of aliphatic and hydroaromatic compounds, or by the destructive hydrogenation of aromatic middle oils, such as anthracene' oils, mineral coal tar products, residue obtained by cracking, high temperature tars and the like. The motor fuels herein referred to, are of great importance because the low boiling and knocking constituents may be readily obtained by hydrogenation of aliphatic and hydroaromatic compounds whilst the aromatic parent substances are easily converted into constituents boiling above 150 C. whereas "the are only difiicultly converted into lowboi ing constituents.

It is frequently the, case that by destructive hydrogenation, for example of middle oils, about 50 per cent of benzine containing many low-boiling constituents and comparatively rich in hydrogen is easily obtained by a single treatment for example by a treatment with hydrogen at 200 atmospheres and at about 450 C. The remaining 50-per cent may then be readily converted into hydrocarbons, consisting of anti-knocking constituents, a portion of which boils above 150 C. without any substantial loss of gas. By mixing these with the benzine obtained in the first treatment a non-knocking fuel is obtained, whereas if the initial materials had been completely converted into benzine a knocking fuel might have been obtained.

The following examples will further illustrate the nature of the invention but the in-; vention is not restricted thereto.

E mample 1 suppress knocking. If the said gasoline be distilled and 3 parts of a fraction boiling up to 150 C. be mixed with 1 part of a fraction boiling substantially between 140 and 180 C. ofra" product obtained by treating Coastal gas oil with hydrogen at about 560 C. and under a pressure of 200 atmospheres in the presence of a catalyst immune to sulfur poisoning, such as ferro-silicon, a motor fuel is obtained which is knocking.

' Example 2 Mid-Continent straight-run gasoline does not as a rule knock quite so much as Pennsylvanian gasoline. Very considerable additions of benzene, namely about 40 per cent by volume are, however, required in order to obtain a fuel which is passably free from knocking. If 4 parts by volume of those fractions of Mid-Continent to about 150 C. be mixed with a fraction boiling substantially between 145 and 185 (1., obtained from ,well purified tar, derived from the carbonization of pit coal a motor fuel is obtained which even in motors having ahigh compression ratio shows no tendency to knocking.

Example 5 By the topping of a paraffinic American petroleum, for example Crane Upton crude oil, a gasoline is obtained which produces marked knocking in a motor under normal compression. By distilling oil the fraction of this gasoline which boils below 150 C. and making it with the same amount of a hydrocarbon fraction whichis rich in aromatic constituents, which boils at between 150 and 180 C. and which has been obtained by destructive hydrogenation to obtain a normal boiling point curve, a gasoline is obtained which meets all requirements with regard to non-knocking.

What we claim is The process of producing an anti-knock fuel which comprises destructively hydrogenating aromatic middle oils by subjecting said oils'to the action of hydrogen at a temperature of at least 450 C. a pressure of the order of 200 atmospheres and a catalyst immune to sulphur poisoning and then isolating a fraction boiling between about and 200 C. from the product so produced.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands.

' MATHIAS PIER.

FRIEDRICH RINGER.

practically free from gasoline boiling up. 

